Backtalk

Mother Dearest
Wow, everyone, just WOW! The Sept/Oct issue was probably my all-time favorite issue of any magazine. I read it from cover to cover, something I haven't done in quite some time. Well done!
dimi everetteAustin, Texas

Race-Bait and Switched
If I continue to see ads like the one by a coalition of immigration reform groups, I will have to reconsider my subscription. While the ad sounds benignly egalitarian, these groups are concerned with immigration, not providing sustainable sources of energy or quality health care, which would improve the relationship between population and environment. I truly hope you will reconsider accepting advertisement monies from these groups.brenda elseyWoodside, New York

The editors respond: Just as we don't let advertisers interfere with our editorial content, we accept ads no matter how much we disagree with them. For more on our ad policy, visitmotherjones.com/adpolicy.

Bitter Medicine
In his pessimistic assessment of the Medicare prescription drug program, James Ridgeway questions whether enrollment in Part D is worthwhile. For most seniors the answer is a resounding "yes." Seniors are saving, on average, $1,200 a year on their medicine, and Part D is costing considerably less than previously estimated due to effective competition. Most importantly, more than 39 million Medicare patients—90 percent of all potential beneficiaries—now have comprehensive drug coverage.
ken johnsonSenior vice presidentPhRMA

Principal's Office Politics
I was elected to the local school board 2.5 years ago and was positively delighted with the article on Reading First contracting, "Hooked on Phonies." Local schools (and their boards) face serious challenges and it's vitally important that we meet them. It would be nice, however, if the playing field (No Child Left Behind) targeted student achievement, not presidential politics.
jo hollingsworthFostoria, Ohio

Pressing WarningNew York Times reporter James Risen ("Spying on the Press") is in a perilous position. I should know—I was there myself three years ago, subpoenaed by the fbi and ordered to turn over my unpublished materials. I served 226 days for refusing to cooperate. Even if Risen is not sent to prison, the message of this administration is loud and clear. To journalists: Be careful what you cover; you could go to prison if you refuse to talk.
josh wolfSan Francisco, California

Slap ShotMother Jones has been a part of my family since I was a child, so imagine my disappointment when I read "Immune to Reason," which basically slams some of the decisions I've made with my children. MJ owes us an apology and should instead report the scary ingredients and pressure tactics involved in today's vaccination debate.
jenna kammerTularosa, New Mexico

Judging Activists
I'm not sure how Kiera Butler and Leigh Ferrara's "Survey Course" could have made the magazine appear more dismissive of/out of touch with student activists. As a young activist, I'm all for a little lighthearted self-criticism and ribbing my peers. But ham-handed efforts to categorize broad swaths of people into stereotypical cliques a la Clueless is more a conservative pastime than something I thought I'd find in "hellraising" Mother Jones.
heather buchheimSan Francisco, California

Truthers Dare
In "The Truth Is Out There," you portray the 9/11 Truth Movement as illegitimate without demonstrating that you have investigated 9/11. You also ignore the fact that the best fiction and conspiracy theories come from the mainstream press, the White House, and Congress. My favorites: Iraq attacked us on 9/11, Saddam has wmd, or Russia invaded Georgia. Mr. Dave Gilson, you are a gatekeeper and you along with the rest of the press are failing the public miserably by not truly investigating 9/11.
dawn shepherdWashington, DC

Better Than Red
In "Grand Obama Party," Bruce Falconer lists Missouri as a traditionally red state. As a Missourian, I am haunted by this aggravating misconception. Missouri is a bellwether state (and has gone for the victor of every election since 1904 save Ike in 1956) so it cannot possibly be listed as a red state.
emma carter obataSt. Louis, Missouri